General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 28mm tires? Rss Feed  
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2017-07-04 6:41 AM

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Expert
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Floriduh
Subject: 28mm tires?
Yesterday I was having a conversation with a riding buddy who is much more into keeping up with trends in the velo world than I. He said, and I know this is true, that the touring pros have gone to riding wider tires (ie, 25, 28mm) rather than the long-held standard 23mm. I have read a couple of web pages that outline the physics of why a tire with more potential contact area would have superior rolling resistance coefficients. So I buy the arguments, but I have a set of 28mm slicks for my MTB and boy, I gotta tell you they look wide compared to my 23mm tires. I am in the market for a new rear tire and am willing to give the the wider tire a shot, has anyone else done this? Is it good for you too?


2017-07-04 9:19 AM
in reply to: Oysterboy

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Ottawa, Ontario
Subject: RE: 28mm tires?
Not all tires labelled "28mm" are going to actually measure that - there's quite a bit of variance in different models. And the rim itself will determine how wide the tire actually ends up being when mounted. A 28mm tire is going to measure way wider on a 30mm wide MTB rim than on a 21mm wide road rim.

Another important consideration is if you can even fit tires that wide on your bike. I run 23mm GP4000sII tires (which measure closer to 25mm) on my P2C and that's about the limit of what I can fit on without rubbing. Most newer bikes are built to accommodate wider tires. Most older bikes are not.

Finally, there's a tradeoff between Crr and CdA. Wider tires have a better rolling resistance, but are going to be worse aerodynamically, especially if you don't have new wide aero rims. For overall speed, if you've got older rims you should stick with 23s. If it's comfort you're after rather than speed, then yeah, 28s at 80 psi are quite luxurious.
2017-07-04 10:04 AM
in reply to: Oysterboy

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Pfafftown, NC
Subject: RE: 28mm tires?
28's on my roadie makes it feel like I'm riding a sofa. They won't fit on my P2, though.

I'm not worried AT ALL about performance on my road bike. Everything about that bike is about comfort.

I'm not saying the wider tires are slower. I can tell you they are much more comfortable, though. I run 20 less psi in them.
2017-07-04 10:06 AM
in reply to: SenatorClayDavis

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Veteran
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Great White North
Subject: RE: 28mm tires?
Spesh Turbo 26mm fit my P2C
2017-07-04 11:32 AM
in reply to: Oysterboy

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Regular
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Tucson, AZ
Subject: RE: 28mm tires?
I ride 42mm tires on my road bike for the past 7 years or so. Love it. Granted it has cantilever brakes so the tires can fit.
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